Shane Watson called India his “second home” at an official Indian Independence Day celebration in Sydney on August 17, 2026. The former Australian all-rounder was a guest at the event organized by the Consulate General of India, where he spoke alongside NSW Premier Chris Minns and Governor Margaret Beazley.
Watson did not hold back.
“India is like second home for me. It’s an interesting thing. I was fortunate enough to have played cricket for Australia for quite a long time, but I always felt a lot more welcome in India.”
Shane Watson, India’s 80th Independence Day celebration, Sydney, August 17, 2026
The statement carried weight because of where he said it. This was not a podcast or a press conference. It was a diplomatic event, with Indian and Australian officials in the room, and Watson chose that moment to say he felt more at home in India than in Australia.
He went further.
“I was never really judged as much in India. Back here in Australia, if things were going well, the support was normally good. If things weren’t going so well, it was a little bit more judgmental.”
Shane Watson, India’s 80th Independence Day celebration, Sydney, August 17, 2026
That one sentence explains why so many foreign players keep returning to the IPL long after their international careers end.
Watson’s bond with India started in 2008. He joined the Rajasthan Royals for the inaugural IPL season, won the title under Shane Warne, and scored consistently enough to rebuild confidence that injuries had taken away from his international career. He moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, then to Chennai Super Kings, where his connection with Indian cricket reached its peak.
In 145 IPL matches across three franchises, Watson scored 3,874 runs with four centuries and took 92 wickets. The numbers alone do not capture what happened. In the 2019 IPL final against Mumbai Indians, Watson batted with a bleeding knee that later needed stitches. He scored 80 in a losing cause, and CSK’s dressing room only discovered the injury after the match. That was not a man playing a franchise league for money. That was a man playing for a city that had adopted him.
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Watson’s Truth: Why India Feels Different
Australian cricket demands perfection from its own. One lean series and the commentary turns, the crowd turns, the selectors move on. Every player who has worn the Baggy Green knows this pressure. It sharpens some careers and breaks others. Watson experienced both sides. He was dropped and recalled multiple times across formats, and every return came with the unspoken condition that the next failure could be the last.
India offered something different. IPL fans do not care where a player comes from. The jersey is the passport. Once Watson wore Rajasthan pink, Bengaluru red, or Chennai yellow, the crowd treated him as their own. No conditions. No performance threshold for acceptance. That unconditional support is rare in professional sport, and Watson clearly never forgot it.
Still Choosing India
Watson retired from playing in 2020 but never left Indian cricket. He joined Delhi Capitals as assistant coach in 2022. In 2026, he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in the same role. He captains the Australia Masters in the International Masters League, a T20 competition featuring retired legends that plays its seasons in India. IML Season 2 is scheduled for October-November 2026.
His coaching path tells the story his words confirmed. Watson keeps choosing India. Not because he has to. Because he wants to.
Shane Watson said – “India is like second home for me. It’s an interesting thing. I was fortunate enough to have played cricket for Australia for quite a long time, but I always felt a lot more welcome in India”. (First post). pic.twitter.com/STNRahbYre
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) August 20, 2026
Watson first visited India as a 19-year-old and has watched the country transform over two decades. He praised Indian vegetarian cuisine, appreciated the pace of development he witnessed across visits, and spoke about Indian cricket fans with a warmth that went beyond diplomatic courtesy.
When an Australian cricketer with 59 Tests and 190 ODIs says he felt more welcome in another country than his own, it says something about both countries. Australia’s sporting culture prizes results above loyalty. India’s cricket culture prizes the player above the result. Watson experienced the difference for 18 years, and at an Indian Independence Day celebration in Sydney, he finally said it plainly.
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